ANY KIND OF DOG

From a psychiatrist who debuted with Bedtime Cat (1991), another story constructed on a repetitive pattern, but with a stronger story and a more satisfying conclusion. Richard wants a dog, but his mother says it'd be too much trouble; instead, she gets him other animals, each resembling one Of the dogs in the book he's always reading (the mouse looks like a Chihuahua) and each larger than the last (the pony looks like a Great Dane). At last, Richard has his way--and the dog is ""a lot of trouble, but it was worth it."" The conclusion is realistic--though the dog is real, all the other animals turn out to be toys. Unpretentious but amusingly expressive, Reiser's bright pen-and-watercolor illustrations tell much of the story, while the very simple phrases in the text get funnier with each dogged repetition--readers are sure to chortle at the idea that a bear, and even a lion, could be less trouble than a dog. A promising readaloud.